Orchids Need Rest Too
Orchids need resting time each year. The precise time for this depends on the species, but for most orchids it should start some time in the fall and continue through most of the winter. You must handle your plants differently at this time than you would during their forceful growth periods (spring and summer usually). This is an often-overlooked part of growing orchids successfully.
A good general practice is to give your orchids rest from November through the middle of February. You do this by lowering the temperature in the room where you keep them, and by reducing how much water you give them.
For orchids from hot regions, keep the air temperature at about 60 or 65. For species from cooler climes, you can let the temperature drop to as low as 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
At this time, give your orchids just enough water to keep them from shriveling. Most of the moisture should be supplied by misting or by taking measures to keep the air humid. From time to time, though, you should poke down into the soil and examine the stem, roots and rooting medium of your plants. If these are beginning to dry out you can water them directly.
Some species will continue to grow during the winter months. These will required somewhat more water than those that truly go dormant. If you see new shoots coming up, though, try to avoid wetting them or they else they could rot.
Some orchids are deciduous. This means they will drop their leaves after they have finished their growing for the year. You need to give these as much sun and light during their rest period as you can. This will let their pseudobulbs ripen, in turn letting them grow stronger and flower more freely.
Caring properly for orchids during their rest is not that difficult. Avoiding all problems, though, requires a good bit more information than can be covered in a short space. The most up-to-date guide to expert orchid growing, beyond question, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which may be downloaded from the Internet. Howard’s wonderful guide is a thorough education all to itself. And, it is appropriate for novices as well as more expeienced orchid growers. Also, check out the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing library of postings on all facets of orchid cultivation.
